Pelicans' Zion Williamson provides major update on hamstring injury

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is hopeful his most recent hamstring injury doesn't sideline him as long as his last one did.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Williamson provided insight into the injury that he suffered in the final minutes of the Pelicans' 110-106 play-in game loss to the Lakers a week prior.

He confessed that the setback was "super demoralizing at first," as he noted that "the season had been going so well."

Williamson played a career-high 70 games for the Pelicans during the regular season and was poised to make his playoff debut this year. Unfortunately, that's now on the backburner unless he returns during the postseason, something Williamson hasn't ruled out.

"It's absolutely realistic," he said. The team announced last Wednesday that Williamson would be reevaluated in two weeks, which puts the earliest date for a potential return as Game 5 in New Orleans' first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is set for next Wednesday, if necessary.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft shared that his injury didn't feel the same as the one to his right hamstring he suffered last January that forced him to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, which could be viewed as a positive sign the injury isn't as severe.

He described his 2023 hamstring as "sharper pain," while noting that the one suffered last week "just felt like something was off."

"The more I pass tests, the quicker I'll be able to return, but I have to get back to a baseline and pass certain tests," Williamson said.

The Pelicans lost a close Game 1, 94-92, and must win at least one of the next three games to make their star's return a possibility.